ib_medievalfandomcom-20200213-history
Vikings: Thought life
Gods and beliefs The nine worlds There are nine worlds in the Norse mythology. They are held by the world-tree Yyggdrasil. The nine worlds are: * Midgard- the realm of humanity. * Asgard- the realm/world of the Aesir tribe of gods and goddesses. * Vanaheim- the world of the Vanir tribe of gods and goddesses. * Jotunheim- the world of the giants. * Niflheim- the primordial world of ice. * Muspelheim- the primordial world of fire. * Alfheim- the world of the elves. * Svartalfheim- the world of dwarfes. * Hel- The world of the epoymous goddess Hel and the dead. Asgard What is the most well-known world out of all the nine worlds in Norse mythology? It's where the biggest and most powerful warrior gods like Thor lives and where the All-Father Odin rules. Of course it is Asgard. Asgardians were enemies with the giants and to prevent the giants from entering Asgard they constructed their world specifically to keep them out. By building high walls and high buildings they were able to keep the giants away better than without all of this. Though the giants did sometimes succeed in breaking into the first part of Asgard but what they were met with was warrior gods and because of that had no chance to defeat them. There were mostly gods and goddesses living in Asgard but it was possible for normal human beings to reach Valhalla (which was a part of Asgard) but you would have had to been a warrior hero that died in battle to be able to live with the gods. The most famous gods and goddesses living there was: * Odin: god of warrior and death, god of sky and god of wisdom and poetry, ruler and All-Father of Asgard * Thor: God of thunder, one of Odin's 17 sons * Loki: God of mischief (aka the trickster god), adoptive son of Odin * Heimdall: guardian of bifrost (the bridge between the worlds) * Frigg: goddess of foreknowledge and wisdom, wife of the god Odin * Freyja: goddess of love and fertility * Baldur: god of light, twin brother with Hoor * Hoor: god of night, blind, twin brother with Baldur Valhall/Niflheim/Muspelheim Valhall or The hall of the dead is equivalent to what we call heaven. The hall is ruled by the god Odin. It’s located in Asgard and is a great hall the place where dead warriors go to rest. Once in Valhalla the warriors get prepared to support Odin during the events of Ragnarrok. Niflheim, one of the nine mythical worlds, is the world of darkness. It's cold and icy hell-like place. If you didn't die a heroic death, Niflheim is the place you will most likely end up at. Loki is originally from Niflheim and he is the one who rules over it. Muspelheim is one of the nine worlds and also where the vikings believed that the fire giants lived. According to a man named Snorri strulson during the Prose era but it shouldn’t be taken too seriously because it is pre/Christian Norse mythology. The oldest meaning of the world is very likely to be “end of the world through fire” but even older Norse poetry refers to it as a giant leading his people or possibly sons towards a battle against gods during ragnarok. http://norse-mythology.org/cosmology/the-nine-worlds/muspelheim/ Burial rituals Something that is typical for the Vikings are runestones, they were used as memorials to honour the dead (mainly men). In the Viking culture ship burials were common. When a warrior died they would send him off in a ship with valuables, such as weapons and tools. Both men and women received items, depending on their social class and gender, to bring along down in the grave to use in their next life. Free men often got weapons or equipment and tools depending on their profession. Meanwhile women got mostly jewelry or household tools. If you were a thrall (slave), your grave would probably not be much more than a hole in the ground. But sometimes you could get unlucky and get shipped away, still alive, as a human sacrifice with a dead warrior. Runes The vikings used the runic alphabet. The scandinavian variants are often called futhark, from the first six letters in the alphabet; f, u, th, a, r, k. Runes were treated as something more than just letters and were often used as parts of spells. Each rune also symbolized something. For example the t-rune, shaped like an arrow pointing up and symbolizing Tyr in the sky, except for being used as a letter, was often written to ensure victory in battle. The first runic writing found is from around 150 AD. The reason for runes being shaped so sharply and angularly was that it made it easier to carve them onto stone, wood, bone or metal. Many runestones have been found all over Scandinavia. Usually they were memorial stones to dead men. They were usually put up by men but sometimes by women too, mostly widows of the deceased. It is believed that the runes were colored in bright/colores. You can find most of them in scandinavia but some can be found outside where the vikings traveled (or settled). They could be set up were people would assembly, to mark territory, inheritance or to write about events. Sacrifices Sacrifices to the Norse gods was common practice among the vikings and was most often called blot. Ceremonies and feasts were hold. Mostly animals such as pigs and horses were sacrificed, however, skeletons from human sacrifices have been found too. There were two types of human sacrifices; one of them was for religious purpouses and was intended for the gods at festivals. The other was called retainer sacrifice and was performed during funerals. Only wealthy people had human sacrifices at their funerals. However many historians think that the topic of human sacrifices has been exaggerated by Christian propaganda when Christianity took over. Ragnarok Ragnarok is a serie of future events the Vikings believed in, ragnarok to them was the end of the world. To be more exact ragnarok is the downfall of the cosmos and of all it’s gods and goddesses. But ragnarok can be *interpreted in two ways either as the doom of gods or the twilight of gods. Raknarok is a great battle between the gods and the giants which will cause the death of major figures such as Thore, Odin, Hemindal, Tÿr, Loki, Freyer and many more. However before the great battle the human world midgard will face “the great winter”. “The great winter” is three winter with no summer in between. Loki the trickster god and his son *Fenrir will kill Baldur son of Odin and because and because of their crime both of them will be banned from Asgard. As a punishment Loki and his son Fenrir will be chained down in the underworld, the world of Hel and the dead. Loki betrayal and the great winter will be the first signs of ragnarok. Odin the all father could see the beginning and the end of ragnarok and therefore he carefully selected the greatest human warriors to fight beside him and his children in the coming battle against the giants. However Odin could see that they would lose the battle but he could not see what would happen afterwards. Odin did though know that ragnarok would not be the end, something would come afterwards. After struggling for a long time Fenrir and Loki broke free from their chains and set out their mission to bring death, chaos and destruction in the nine worlds. The far-seeing Hemindll, the watch man of the gods was the first one to spot the army of giants and among them he saw the trickster god Loki and his son Fenrir. Loki at the peak of the army of giants on the helm of the ship Naglfar, the ship of all dead men’s nails. Fenrir the great wolf ran across the land with his jaws wide open and swallowed everything in his path. Fenrir even ran so fast that he caught up to the sun and moon and swallowed them both. A giant under the name Surtr with a flaming sword swept it across the earth and left nothing but inferno in his wake. Even though Odin knew the battle was in vain they fought to the end with their heads held high. Thor slew the sea serpent Jormungand however Jormungand showered Thor in the last moments with his poison and and the poisoned Thor could only take a few steps before he also fell dead. The god Freyer entered a fierce battle with the giant Surtr and both of them fell for the others blade. Hemindall challenged Loki and they slew each other. Both Odin and Tÿr fell to Fenrir however Odin was avenged by his son Vindar who killed Fenrir by bending his jaws back. In the ultimate reversal of the original process of the creation the ravaged land sank back into the ocean and vanished. The perfect darkness and silence, the anti-cosmo void Ginnungagap ruled once again. However it did not last forever, soon the earth raised again from the below the waves of the sea and Baldur returned from the underworld. The land that under ragnarok become a waste was now more lush and fruitful than it’s previous creation. A new human pair, Lif and Lifthrasir the reincarnations of Ask and Embla awoke in the new green world. Even the gods and goddesses returned from the underworld and resumed their merrymaking. * Rakgnarok can be seen as the “doom of gods” because in some versions the gods and goddesses do not return from the dead and all the gods do not die at the end of ragnarok. Some some versions present that the world is not reincarnated and the daughters and sons of those who died take over the rule over Asgard. It can be seen as Twilight of the gods in because of the fact some state that the gods and goddesses will return from the underworld or be reborn into the new world. *Fenrir is also called Garmr in some versions This is just one version of ragnarok, you might have heard others and therefore i request that you take what you read with a little salt. Knowledge Crafts The craftsmen created all kinds of (long lasting) items used in daily life like jewellery and toys but also ships, weapons and armour. They used materials such as silver, jet, bronze, amber, glass and wood that they had come over from trade. They showed great interest in jewellery and wore bracelets, necklaces, ornate pendants and pins. They could be made from silver or other metals and expensive materials. Brooches were worn by both genders and was used to keep the clothes on. People with more wealth could use more expensive materials and those with less to spend would have the ones made out of bronze. Many of their crafts were beautiful and well decorated. https://www.q-files.com/history/vikings/viking-crafts/ Weapons (under offensive weapons) Spheres were more common than the other weapons but axes and swords were the ones mostly used in fights. Bow and arrow/similar were also used at times. Weapons were not only for fights. They also a sign of wealth, so they liked to have them well decorated. Shields (under Defence) The shields they used were circular made out of wood. They were huge, up to one metre across and must’ve taken a lot of muscle to carry. In the middle of the shield there was a hole where the hand could have a good grip to carry it and around it an iron boss so the hand couldn’t be harmed. It is believed that they covered their shields in leather and sometimes metal. Some old data also show that the shields may have had patterns painted on sometimes. Ca 1000 they started using another type of shield that was kite–shaped and protected more parts of their legs. Helmets were hard to produce and only the leaders wore them. They did not, however have horns as the stereotypes state. The vikings may also have worn caps but no examples survived until today. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/vikings/weapons_01.shtml Ships and traveling The vikings traveled a lot by ships for trading and settlement purposes. Their ships were constructed in such a way that they could travel all over Europe, or sail through shallow rivers. They were first to settle at Iceland and also settled in Western Russia, North America, baltic sea, Ukraine and green land. (On the way there they got furs and ambers which they traded for silver, silk and spices. https://www.q-files.com/history/vikings/viking-exploration/ Navigation They use wildlife as a navigation system. Birds only flew a certain distance away from land and oddly shaped rocks could be landmarks. But their techniques were also based on where the sun was set during the day. They used whales too since the whales tend to keep closed to fish and the fish stay in certain places. http://sciencenordic.com/how-vikings-navigated-world Navigation and boats They also navigated by using the stars, especially the northern star, which is why they didn't leave the northern hemisphere as the northern star cannot be seen in the southern hemisphere. There where tree types of ships and they were called longships. The “snekke” ship that was the smallest ship, the “Dragon ship” that we have not been found yet but and there are references to them. The last type of longship is the biggest one called the “Roskilde ship” and they could carry up to 70 to 80 people. These longships were the most technologically advanced ships at the time. http://fourriverscharter.org/projects/Inventions/pages/europe_vikingnavigation.htm Ships The Viking ship was perhaps the greatest technical and artistic achievement of the European dark ages. These fast ships had the strength to survive ocean crossings while having a draft of as little as 50cm (20 inches), allowing navigation in very shallow water. Viking ship on picture stone Ships were an important part of Viking society, not only as a means of transportation, but also for the prestige that it conferred on her owner and skipper. Their ships permitted the Vikings to embark on their voyages of trading, of raiding, and of exploration. Images of ships show up on jewelry (right), on memorial stones (left), and on coins from the Viking age. Some people were buried in ships, or ship-like settings made of stones (below), during the Viking age. Viking ship brooch Oseberg ship The picture to the left shows a sketch of the side view and hull section, and a photo of a 9th century ship that was recovered early in the 20th century in Oseberg. The ship was part of a very rich burial and is now on display near Oslo. The Oseberg ship was once thought to be more representative of a royal yacht, rather than a true war ship, but more recent research suggests she was quite capable of sailing in open ocean. In the 1970's, five 11th century ships were found and recovered from the Skuldelev narrows in Denmark, giving us more examples of the variety of ships used in the Viking age. These ships had been intentionally scuttled, probably to block the channel during a raid. Two different classes of Viking era ships were found: warships called langskip and merchant ships called knörr. knorr and longship comparison Typically, a warship is narrower, longer, and shallower than a knörr, and is powered by oars, supplanted by sail. The warship is completely open and is built for speed and maneuverability. In contrast, a knörr is partially enclosed and powered primarily by sail. Cargo carrying capability is the primary concern. The two Skuldelev warships are narrower and less spacious than the Oseberg ship. She is 17.4m long (57 ft) and 2.6m broad (8.5 ft). These ships are probably more typical of the kind of vessel that was used by the Vikings on their raids. A typical warship might have had 16 rowers on each side. war ship sketch Islendingur shields The crew's shields may have been arrayed along the gunwales, held in place by a shield rack outboard of the ship. This kept them out of the way, but also provided some slight additional protection against wind and waves. Íslendingur, a replica ship that sailed from Iceland to North America in the year 2000. Islendingur under sail Viking ship with shields on coin Both coins and pictures stones from the Viking age depict shields arrayed along the gunwale of a Viking ship. Additionally, the sagas say that shields were displayed. In Brennu-Njáls saga (ch. 84), Kári and his ten ships rowed hard to join a sea battle, with row after row of shields on display along the sides of the ships. Several pieces of evidence suggest that shields were not routinely displayed while underway. On some ships, the shields interfere with the oarholes, preventing the oars from being used. Shield racks, to which the shields were fastened, were not robust, and probably were incapable of holding the shields securely in rough seas. Last, modern sailors of replica ships say they are very impractical. Perhaps shields were displayed only for battle, or to make the ship look especially fine when approaching land. Landnámabók (S.156) tells of Hella-Björn Herfinnsson who sailed into Bjarnarfjörður with his ship lined with shields. Afterwards, he was called Skjalda-Björn (Shield-Björn). Viking ship Vesteinn ship oars The oars of the Gokstad ship varied in length from 5.3 to 5.85 meters (about 17 to 19ft) according to where they were used on the ship. The oarholes were not a uniform distance above the waterline, and so the length of each oar was chosen so that the blades all hit the water in unison. The oars were made of pine with a narrow blade, which makes for an efficient, lightweight oar. The photos show the oars for the Íslendingur, which was no longer afloat when the photos were taken. ship oars Vikingaheimar The ship has been on display at an open air museum for several years, but in the fall of 2008, she was moved indoors to a new museum, Víkingaheimar at Reykjanesbær in Iceland. oarhole covers The oarholes of the Gokstad ship were only 40cm (16 inches) above the deck. Most likely, each crewman's sea chest doubled as a rowing bench (right). Oarholes were sealed when not in use by covers that rotated in place to keep out water (left). The slot cut into the oarhole that is visible in the upper photo to the left allowed the blade of the oar to pass through the oarhole so oars could be deployed entirely inboard of the ship The slot was located in a position that received minimal stress while rowing, reducing the chance for wear or damage to the strakes or to the oars from the force of the stroke.